Nancy Drew and the Mystery of the Emerald Owl
by MisterCam8213
Summary: This picture is from "Batman: the Animated Series" Season 4 Episode "Judgment Day." When Penguin is fleeing the "The Judge," he looks and sees his two assistants in peril, suspended from the ceiling. It thought to myself that they look oddly familiar. I realized that they look like illustrations I've seen of Nancy Drew and George Fayne! That gave me the idea for a crossover story.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 A New Case

Nancy Drew, a titian haired girl of 18, combed through the River Heights Gazette to see if there were any cases that needed solving. She was clad in a yellow sweater and plaid skirt. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and she had a pencil resting above her right ear.

She frowned and scanned the paper a second time.

She needed a break from her personal life, and a new case would be just the thing to do it.

Her relationship with Ned Nickerson had been rocky lately, with Ned feeling like he was second to sleuthing in Nancy's life. It was true, to a point. Nancy could not duplicate the feeling of success in a mystery to the love she received from Ned. Perhaps things would have been different if Ned had shared her enthusiasm for detecting. Lately, he was more interested in football than she was. They decided to take a break for a bit.

"Nancy!" called a voice from downstairs.

Nancy put down the paper and called back, "Dad, is that you?"

"Yeah! Come down here, I might have a case for you!" he shouted. Carson Drew, prominent lawyer about town, could always be relied on for information in town. He had great connections that proved invaluable to Nancy's cases and he was more than happy to help Nancy solve them.

Nancy ran downstairs to greet her Dad, giving him a big hug and a peck on the cheek. He was doffing his grey blazer and hanging it on the back of a kitchen chair when Nancy entered the room. He yawned and stretched his arms. It looked like he had a long day at the office today.

"What's this about a new case?" asked Nancy eagerly.

"Mr. Barnaby, antiques dealer on 3rd street was robbed last night." Said Mr. Drew

"What happened?" asked Nancy with a shriek, "Is he alright?"

"He's just fine, Nancy," started Mr. Drew, "His new statue, the Emerald Owl, was stolen last night. Someone broke in and took it. The police drew up the report, but maybe you can find something that they've overlooked?"

"I'll go get my things and head over! Thanks Dad!" exclaimed Nancy with a large smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 The Stolen Owl

The shopkeeper, a nervous little man in a tweed suit named Mr. Barnaby, carefully recounted the events of the day.

From what he said, many people had come in to see the Emerald Owl. It was difficult to keep up with every individual. He received offers ranging from fifty thousand to one hundred thousand dollars for the statue. Mr. Barnaby always refused. The Emerald Owl was the last remaining work of art from master sculptor Fernando Fleck. Mr. Barnaby believed that the Emerald Owl belonged in a museum so that it can be enjoyed by anyone.

"Mr. Barnaby," started Nancy delicately, "Do you remember any suspicious customers? Ones that got really angry when you denied them purchase?"

"I don't remember anyone in particular, they were all so angry that they couldn't take the Owl right then and there," he said, tears welling in his eyes. He had been looking for the Emerald Owl for many years, and to have it taken away before he could give it to the museum was taking a toll on him.

"Sir, do you mind if I look around?" Nancy asked, "Maybe I can help you find it." She added to soothe him.

Mr. Barnaby smiled. He was familiar with Nancy's work in town. He had seen her picture in the newspaper. Nancy Drew: Amateur Detective had solved at least a dozen cases in town, ranging from stolen cats to kidnapping cases. He would gladly accept her help. The police were notified of the theft, but they were convinced that the Owl would show up around town. With the flashy kidnapping of Winter Foley, daughter of the wealthiest man in town, a missing owl statue did not seem that high of a priority to the small police force in town. They gave their blessings to Nancy to investigate the case.

Nancy spent three hours combing through each and every spot in Mr. Barnaby's antique store. There were many footprints and there were no security cameras in the store. The owner had a Rottweiler named Toby to guard the back door, but poor Toby was hit with a tranquilizer dart and spent the night in a forced slumber.

Nancy started back by Toby. When Mr. Barnaby gave a guest his favor in front of Toby, Toby became a sweetheart and came up to Nancy for belly rubs. Nancy laughed and gave some attention to the big pup. When she started around Toby's area, she noticed two distinct footprints. She reached into her satchel and retrieved a magnifying glass. She observed the footprint and saw that one foot dug deeper into the soft dirt. The dirt also was flat under the footprint. These were the same for the trail of footprints leading to the store. These seemed to indicate that the intruder had a slight limp and was wearing fancy shoes. Nancy also noticed a third print next to the footprints. It was a small indent, circular.

The intruder had a cane. The strange part was that based on the conical shape of the indent, it also seems that the cane came to a sharp point.

Nancy followed this set of prints right into the shop. The lock on the door was disintegrated, some kind of high-powered acid. Nancy did not like to speak ill of the River Heights Police Department, but this did not seem like your run-of-the-mill criminal here. Acid is not usually in the inventory of the common River Heights criminal.

The casing that enveloped the Emerald Owl was crafted from bulletproof glass and secured with a heavy metal lock. In this case, the glass had been cut through with precision. No fingerprints on the glass, but a high-powered blade had cut a perfect circle through the glass. The Owl was lifted out of its case and taken away.

Combing the shop for a third time did not gain Nancy any results. It was only after exhausting every option that she thought of that she noticed something odd about the floor vent below the jewel casing. She bent down to get a closer look. Something was lodged in the vent. She dug through her satchel until she found her multi-tool (a gift from her father for Christmas). She used the flathead piece to pry up the vent. She reached in her hand and retrieved the object. It was soft and light. She held it up to the light.

It was a bird feather! Solid black plumes. It was much larger than the feather of a crow or raven. She stared curiously at the feather. She couldn't remember any bird around town that this feather could have come from. Is it possible that it was stuck to the clothing of the intruder?

Nancy jotted down every one of her notes in her journal, attaching measurements of the foot sizes and the bird feather. She would have some investigating to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 All Clues Lead to…

Nancy spent the rest of the afternoon in the library, flipping through dozens of books concerning birds until she found what she was looking for.

" _Andrean Condor_ ," was the name of the bird. " _Found in the Andes Mountains of South America. The Andrean Condor is the largest flying bird in the world by combined measurement of weight and wingspan_."

"Native to South America." Says the book that Nancy is reading.

'What is a Condor feather doing in River Heights?' thought Nancy to herself.

Nancy figured that the criminal might hang around the zoo, but she knew that the nearest zoos to her state did not have any Condors. She called the helpdesk at all the zoos in a statewide radius to check if any Condors had been transferred within the last couple of weeks. Each call gave a negative to this answer, but one gave her a most interesting answer.

"We were supposed to receive one, but it was purchased by a wealthy Ornithophile."

"May I have the name of this person?" asked Nancy, hoping that the woman on the other line would not fight her on this.

"What makes you so curious?" asked the woman, suspiciously.

"My name is Nancy Drew. I am an amateur detective working with the River Heights Police Department. There was the theft of a statue named the Emerald Owl in my tow. The only clue I have to go on is a condor feather, specifically the feather of an Andrean Condor, at the scene of the crime. It looks like the criminal might have had a slight limp."

The woman did not miss a beat.

"Oswald Cobblepot." She said the name with venom.

"He's a known criminal, despite claims that he's 'clean' now. He has an affinity for birds, particularly endangered species. I'm not supposed to tell you all of this, but I hate seeing the Condor in his care. If he _is_ implicated in this crime, then I'd love to see him behind bars and have that poor Condor safely in our care again.

"Thank you for the information," said Nancy, "I will do everything that I can to solve this crime!"

Nancy left at once to go back to Mr. Barnaby's place. As she entered the store, the bell on the door alerted Mr. Baraby at once. His look of anxiety was replaced by a wave of calm as he recognized Nancy.

"Nancy, my girl…any luck?" he asked.

"Yes, I believe," started Nancy, "Does the name 'Oswald Cobblepot' ring a bell?"

Mr. Barnaby scratched his head.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Stout fellow, short. He had a monocle and a top hat. Oddly dressed for walking into an antique store. He was dressed like he was going to the Opera."

"Was he one of the people offering you money for the Emerald Owl?"

"Yes he was!" exclaimed Mr. Barnaby.

"How much did he offer?" asked Nancy.

"One million dollars." Said Mr. Barnaby, "I hear he was some big investor in Gotham City."

"Was he upset when you refused him?"

"No and that is what was strange. He was oddly calm about it. He wished me 'good day' and left the store.

"Did he have a limp?" asked Nancy, trying to piece together this puzzle.

"Yes he did." Confirmed Mr. Barnaby.

Yes, thought Nancy, it's almost certain now. One last piece now.

"Did he walk with a cane, possibly sharpened at the edge?"

"No he didn't. I'm sorry." Said Mr. Barnaby.

Nancy looked down in disappointment. She'd have to dig further now, gather more evidence.

"Thank you for your time, Sir." She said as she turned to go.

"He didn't have a cane," started Mr. Barnaby, calling after her, "But he DID have a rather odd umbrella!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Road to Gotham City

Nancy spent the rest of the afternoon pulling up all files that she could on Oswald Cobblepot of Gotham City, New Jersey.

She found many articles involving his criminal pursuits.

Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot AKA "The Penguin."

So, thought Nancy, here's a bird lover who makes it his mission to collect valuables, particularly when they have to do with birds. He has a limp in his right leg from a horse-riding accident at Cambridge. His particular weapon of choice were his umbrellas, which have been known to shoot bullets, spray fire, and to produce a knife from the end. The Penguin, who Nancy was now referring to him as, was also seen at the scene of the crime.

All she needed now was evidence that The Penguin had the Emerald Owl. For this, she would need to travel to Gotham City. She had heard that this was a large, rough city. She would need a reference there to see if she could get close.

She made a phone call to the Gotham City PD to talk to someone. A gruff sergeant picked up the phone.

"Sergeant Bullock here. What do you want?"

Nancy was taken aback. Was this how Gotham City police officers answered emergencies?

"My name is Nancy Drew, amateur detective, and I-"

Sergeant Bullock cut her off.

"We already have one of those. Dresses like a bat and jumps off rooftops. We don't need any more amateurs, honey."

The Sergeant hung up on Nancy. She was shaking with anger, but tried to imagine the situation from Sergeant Bullock's position. Who was this little girl, calling into a big city, trying to help? Also, she was taking a moment to consider his comment about "the bat." He must be referring to "the Batman." He was referenced in the Penguin files as being the vigilante who arrested him on multiple occasions. Despite his taste for justice, he was not an official law official, so Penguin was constantly released on technicalities. Technicalities aside, Batman usually beat Penguin to a pulp for his troubles.

Nancy's phone rang. She jumped in surprise. She gingerly picked up the phone.

"Nancy Drew?" asked a female voice.

"This is she," said Nancy Drew.

"This is Barbara Gordon at the GCPD. I want to apologize for Sergeant Bullock. He's a good cop, but he's rough around the edges. Did you have something you wish to tell us?"

Nancy related everything that she had to Barbara, going into exquisite detail.

"Well done, Nancy!" said Barbara. Nancy could tell that Barbara was smiling on the other end.

"I know how you feel," said Barbara, "I'm not an official officer. I'm the daughter of the Commissioner. I try to help out Dad when I can. We've been trying to get Cobblepot for weeks, but we never have any solid evidence for a warrant. The police department is in shambles lately. We've been under constant attack from that creep, The Riddler. He keeps sabotaging our computer systems and destroying our crime lab. Three-fourths of our police force are in the hospital from a chemical attack at the Gotham City Anniversary parade by Jack Napier, AKA The Joker.

I'm not saying that you are lying, Nancy, but if what you say is true, we need a bit more to go on. I do not advise that you come to Gotham City to help, but If you were here, I would advise you to be careful and to keep on using that clever brain of yours."

Nancy could feel the wink at the last bit of Barbara's speech.

"Will do, Miss Gordon!" said Nancy.

"Please," she said back, "Call me Barbara."

"Where are you going?" asked George as she saw Nancy getting out her black faux leather duffel bag. George was clad in a white blouse and faded blue jeans. A red checkered bandana was folded and tied around her forehead to keep her short hair up. Her hands were on her hips.

George knew that when Nancy got out this particular bag, she was not going on any ordinary trip. The black duffel bag meant that Nancy was going on a trip as a sleuth. This put a strain on George, because she knew that Nancy was going to ask her to go along. It wasn't that she despised these trips, she even got a bit of a thrill out of it. Her main concern was that these escapades were getting rather dangerous. Their last mystery involved a Ring Master's scheme to foil a girl out of her fortune. Nancy and George got jumped by his men, and awoke to find themselves bound and gagged, aboard a train heading out of the state. There's no telling what would have happened to them if they hadn't woken up, or if the goons had decided to do something worse to them!

"Gotham City." Said Nancy, filling the bag with two sets clothes, a pair of binoculars, copies of paperwork related to the case, and a toothbrush.. "Mr. Barnaby is paying all expenses for travel to and from Gotham. He's even driving me there. I worked it all out with Dad."

George was waiting for the last bit.

"Want to come along?" Nancy asked, "I can convince Mr. Barnaby that you will be my partner and backup."

George shook her head, but then relented with a sigh.

"You know I'm by your side, Nancy. Besides, Bess is on that field trip to the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory in Vermont. I had absolutely no interest in a tea tasting trip. I'd much rather go to Gotham with you, even if it is a bit dangerous. At least I won't be in danger of being bored." Said George.

Nancy grinned. "We leave at 6pm. I'll meet you back here."

George and Nancy arrived in Gotham City, shocked to see the state of things.

"JOKER'S WILD! JOKER'S WILD!" screamed a thug with clown makeup, running down the street.

George was aghast to see that an apartment complex was frozen solid! It was melting partially, but it was mostly one solid block of ice. Question marks were graffitied all over the train that had taken them to Sionis Heights, three blocks from the Iceburg Lounge.

"Are we in a dream, Nancy?" asked George, not convinced that such a place could be real.

"I've read countless news articles about this place. It's a lightning rod for exotic personalities." Said Nancy, as if she was delivering a dissertation instead of assuring her cousin that things would be alright.

"Well, let's get this Penguin and get out of here!" whispered George harshly to Nancy.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 A Way In

"All we have to do is figure out a way in." said Nancy as she eyed the Iceberg Lounge through binoculars. George and Nancy were sitting atop the catwalk of the adjacent building, observing the Lounge for the third time that week. They had been staying in a crummy hotel room at Sionis Heights for a week, trying to figure out a way to tie the Penguin to the Emerald Owl. They found out that his base of operations was the Iceberg Lounge, a rich nightclub in town. This was supposed to be how he gets his money, legitimately.

"Not going to be easy from what I hear about Penguin," said George, "He's not a trusting guy. He's a brutal ex-criminal."

"We're too young to be admitted in, and even if we were of age, the line of admission wraps around the block every night we've been here. There's no guarantee we'd get in, not to mention that we'd have to figure out how sneak around for clues while there are about a hundred people inside."

"Yeah…we're just two girls. Not exactly an 'Ocean's 11' crew."

Nancy eyed George curiously.

"What?" asked George, sensing that she wasn't going to like Nancy's answer.

"I just overheard the bouncer talking to Penguin. The two waitress girls have called out tonight. There are two openings. I've seen the girls. One is a slender girl with short dark hair. The other one is a girl of similar build with titian hair."

"Oh no…" said George, knowing where this is headed.

"It's worth a shot! How bad could it be?"

Break in to walk in. This was tricky. They needed uniforms to get in, but the uniforms were inside the Lounge. George was oddly comfortable with retrieving the uniforms through the basement window, but she became decidedly uncomfortable with actually putting on the uniforms.

"Bad, Nancy…" whined George as she surveyed herself in the mirror.

The Iceberg Lounge waitresses had a skimpy attire, much to George's dismay.

George was clad in a black leotard with grey pantyhose. The leotard only went up to above her breasts, accentuating them. Around her neck was a white collar with a black bowtie. Atop her short black hair was a tiny black bowler hat. She was wearing black high heels.

George always dressed like a tomboy. Jeans, overalls, flannel shirts, you name it.

This was a dramatic change in George and she could not stop blushing and readjusting her outfit. She felt completely exposed.

Nancy was used to wearing cutsie outfits, but even this was a bit out of her comfort range. She kept running her fingers through her titian hair. She shook her head as if to shake off the discomfort, her whole-body shivering.

"Well, George, we better get a move on. We don't want to keep the Penguin waiting."

Nancy and George walked up the back alley towards the rear entrance of the Iceberg Lounge.

Nancy rapped at the door a few times until the bouncer from the front last night opened the door. He eyed the two girls suspiciously.

"Raven. Lark." He said flatly. "You were almost late. Get your fine bodies in here and get ready. Penguin wants everything to go smoothly tonight."

The 4-Hour shift felt like an eternity. Rude rich people constantly demanding drinks, demanding food, demanding that Nancy and George hurry up.

In the center of the Iceburg lounge sat a large pillar of ice jutting out in the middle of the large wading pool. Sea lions barked and swam circles around it.

George was moving quickly between tables, beads of sweat forming on her brow and falling from her short hair. She had never worn high heels before, and she had most definitely never waited tables wile wearing them. Nancy did not fare much better- her feet were just as sore. She had worn high heels before, but she was not used to running in them.

Nancy kept sneaking glances at Penguin, laughing and smoking a cigar as he walked from table to table, exchanging greasy handshakes with his patrons. Of all the tables that Penguin visited, Nancy only noticed two tables that were out of the ordinary. One table's customer hid himself in a dark grey trench coat and a large matching hat. He wore gloves on his large hands. From under that hat, Nancy could tell that his skin had a greenish tint and she could have sworn that he had slitted eyes. Penguin exchanged whispers with this man before heading to the table in the far back. At table number 2, she only saw him from the right side. He appeared to be wearing a white suit from this angle. His face looked normal from the right side, dark features and a buzz cut. He had a sinister expression, never smiling. He played with a silver coin, flipping it occasionally. Penguin exchanged hushed words with the man. After Penguin walked way, both men got up and discretely left the Lounge.

After the Iceberg Lounge closed for the night, the Bouncer locked the doors at the front and went to look for straggling patrons. Nancy and George breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from their foreheads. They began to clear tables and wipe them down. Penguin walked up to them and grinned.

"Another successful night, girls." He smiled and stuck another match to the cigar in his mouth. He took a long inhale, though he coughed as he did it. George struggled to hide her disgust.

"When you're finished cleaning the place, meet me in the back room. I have a business deal that I'd like you two to keep an eye on for me. Let's see if those martial arts classes I had you take will serve me well."

Nancy and George were shocked. Martial Arts?

Penguin stopped smiling as he eyed George closely.

"You look different, Raven…" he said softly. He got close to her face, his nose almost touching George's. As he opened and closed his mouth, George could smell the stench of sardines and tobacco. She gagged a little in her throat. This was it, George thought, this is where he catches them. She could imagine what he would do to them, based on the rumors she had heard about this retched man. At best, he'd order the bouncer to hold her and Nancy down, bind both of their hands and feet and toss them into the pool with the sea lions.

At best.

"New Haircut, Raven?" he asked at last, backing away.

George, struggling to hold back tears, let her anxiety fall away with a nervous laugh.

"Yes sir!" she said at last, "I was hoping you would notice…I wanted to impress you." She added for flattery.

Penguin gave a hearty laugh.

"Such a good girl." He said as he turned away, giving her a full open palm smack on the posterior. George went beet-red.

Penguin continued to laugh as he left the room in a cloud of cigar smoke. George was shaking with anger.

Nancy walked over and put her hands on George's shoulder.

"It's okay, George…one night of searching here and we'll get him put away for a very long time…we just have to keep it together. I'm sorry, cousin." Said Nancy softly.

George did not speak, but merely nodded.

The girls cleaned up the tables, wiped the crumbs off of their skimpy uniforms and composed themselves. Nancy straightened George's hat and George helped Nancy straighten her hair again.

They made their way to Penguin's back office.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Dark Deals at the Iceberg Lounge

"Feed the birds." Said the Bouncer, forcing a tin of bird feed into George's hands.

"Um…where do I go?" asked George shakily.

"Down the hall, down the stairs. Follow the squawking. Hurry up, now." He said with a growl.

She hurried down to feed them.

Nancy busied herself washing dishes in the kitchen. She jumped when George rushed up and whispered in her ear.

"The condor is here!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone, "He has quite the aviary down there. Condors, flamingos, pigeons and more!"

Nancy beamed. All they needed was proof of the Emerald Owl in Penguin's hands!

"GIRLS!" boomed the Penguin, "Get in here!"

Nancy and George dropped what they were doing and rushed to meet him. He was behind his desk, counting large stacks of money with a listless gaze. He opened his safe and set the stacks on the bottom shelf. Nancy caught a glance at something glimmering in the darkness of the safe's top shelf. He then closed the safe and gave a spin to the combination dial.

"Stand at the back. I'll give you the signal if I need your assistance." He said firmly.

The girls nodded and stood at the back with their hands held behind their backs.

The dark figure in the trench coat from earlier entered through the back door and placed a leather briefcase on the desk. He opened it and handed the glittering diamond over to Penguin. Without the hat, Nancy and George could see that his skin was covered in green scales, and he had red slits for pupils. His teeth were filed to sharp points. He was positively frightening! Nancy and George struggled to keep their composure.

Penguin viewed the diamond through a microscopic lens for a few seconds, before making a judgment call.

"My dear fellow, I contacted all my usual sources when you told me about the diamond, but I'm afraid it's just not a seller's market," said the Penguin flatly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded the green skinned man.

"$50,000 for the diamond," continued Penguin, "Not a penny more." He set a small briefcase containing the money on the table.

"That's robbery!" exclaimed Croc. "That rock's worth 10 times that much!" He bared his teeth and narrowed his slitted eyes at Penguin. Penguin did not appear frightened by Croc and he did not back down.

"Don't forget, Croc, that as a legitimate businessman, I have my expenses too: Taxes, overhead, labor."

A raspy voice echoed from the shadows.

"And they call _me_ two-faced."

Penguin and Croc turned on their heels to face an old acquaintance. Nancy's eyes widened.

"Harvey, you're early," said Penguin. This was the other man from earlier! Stocky in build, clad in suit that was split down the middle, with white on one side and black on the other to further accentuate his split features. Nancy didn't see his left side earlier, but she could see it now. It was covered in severe burns, the left corner of his mouth was an exaggerated grimace.

"I was able to procure a slightly better price on your items," said the Penguin as he brought up another, larger suitcase and set it in front of Harvey as Harvey exchanged another briefcase in return.

"I see you do have half a brain, enough not to low-ball me," said Harvey, the right corner of his lips turning up into a half smile.

"Naturally," added the Penguin.

"So, what am I, a sap?" asked Croc, angrily. He obviously felt cheated. Penguin paid his feelings little mind.

"You're free to take your business elsewhere, "But of course, who else can guarantee my level of confidentiality?" Penguin grinned. Croc clenched his fists but then grabbed the briefcase full of money.

"As always, gentlemen, it was a pleasure doing business," said the Penguin. He turned to face Nancy and George.

"See that they find their way out."

Nancy and George fell in behind Harvey and Croc, guiding them slowly towards the exit. They broke character only when the two sinister figures left through the backdoor. The bouncer's shift was over, so he left with Croc and Harvey. George turned the lock on the door and breathed a sigh of relief. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Judgment Day

Nancy turned to George.

"I saw the Emerald Owl! It was in Penguin's safe!"

George's eyes widened.

"You were right all along! We need to go to the police!"

Nancy nodded.

"You go and use the phone in the office behind the coat checking station. As long as Penguin's here, you should be good!"

George hesitated.

"What about Two-Face and Croc?" she asked nervously.

"They will not be a problem for much longer." Said a deep voice behind them.

Before they could turn to look, two massive grey gloved hands knocked George and Nancy's heads together. They fell unconscious onto the floor.

Back in the dimly lit back office, Penguin palmed Croc's diamond and grinned. He gingerly placed it into his safe and looked at Two-Face's contribution.

"Now, Harvey… if you ever knew what I really cleared…" he closed his eyes and gave a small laugh.

"Is there no honor among thieves, ?" came a deep voice from behind. Penguin opened his eyes, alert. He swung to face the speaker. A large dark figure in black robes, black face mask, and grey gloves stood at the entryway. He had a judge's wig, completing the specter of a judge.

"And you're worse than a thief, trafficking in stolen goods." declared the Judge.

Penguin was used to seeing costumed vigilantes as well as criminals. He drew himself to his full height, 4 foot 10 inches.

"I don't know who you are, sir, but I assure you, my transactions were all legitimate. You see, I had no actual knowledge that the items were stolen.

Given that, I don't see how the law can touch me." He grinned as he pointed at the figure with his umbrella. One touch of any of the buttons on the handle of the broom would easily rid himself of this intruder.

"I _am_ the law." Boomed the Judge as he retrieved a long, sharp sword from the holder from under his robes. Penguin's mouth dropped open and a bead of sweat formed on his brow.

"And I find you _guilty_!" He swung down with extreme force at Penguin. Penguin, never known for swift movements, found himself leaping to the side as he dodged another fatal blow. He turned and fled down the hall, crying out for his assistants to help him out.

"Raven! Lark!" he cried.

As he turned the corner, he noticed two figures suspended from the ceiling.

Raven and Lark had been tied together, back to back, with rope at their wrists and mid sections.

A single rope suspended them from the ceiling. They had both been gagged, grey cloth pulled across their lips and tied behind their heads. Their eyes were wide in horror as the swung gently from the celing.

Penguin was gasping for breath as he saw the Judge enter the room. Penguin ran for the exit sign. He made it to the door but saw that it was locked. In a fit of desperation, he began to yank on the knob and throw his body against the door.

The Judge turned to this left and noticed a 14-foot-tall stone penguin. It was sitting atop a metal flatbed trolley. The only thing keeping his trolley from moving was a rope tied to the pole behind it. The Judge brought down his sword onto the rope, severing it instantly. The stone penguin started to gain momentum, hurdling towards Penguin. At the last moment, he turned to face the rolling sound. His scream echoed in the hall as the statue smashed him against the door and sending him right through it.

The Judge entered the room to see a critically injured Penguin under a pile of stone rubble. His breathing was ragged, and blood stained his face.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Finale

"Cobblepot remains in critical condition this morning after suffering a brutal attack at his design studio last night." Station 5 news reporter Stacey Margot said into the cameras. She was clad in a vibrant red button up blouse and a matching knee-length skirt.

"Two of his employees say that a masked vigilante dressed as a judge was responsible. We will have more on this scene as it develops."

Nancy Drew, still in her Iceberg Lounge costume was taking small sips from the tea provided by the Paramedics. She finished telling Commissioner Gordon and Barbara everything that she had found, from the footprints at the scene of the crime scene, to the condor feather that led her to investigate the Iceberg Lounge."

"You two are brave girls," said Commissioner Gordon with a smile. "Batman will be thrilled to know that there is hope for a new era of detectives."

"THE BATMAN?" asked George with wide eyes.

"The one and only," said Barbara with a grin, "We've been suspicious of Penguin for months now. He has 'gone straight' before and always slips back into crime. If it hadn't been for your evidence, Penguin would have just recovered in the hospital and gone back to crime. Now, he'll recover at the Blackgate Prison Intensive Care Ward until he goes to trial for trafficking stolen goods and stealing the Emerald Owl."

Nancy Drew gave a warm smile.

"The thing that worries me is this Judge that two girls saw," said Commissioner Gordon.

"He didn't harm you two girls because you were trying to bring down Penguin. He harmed you because he thought that you were helping him."

"Maybe he's a new hero in town?" suggested George.

Commissioner Gordon looked grave.

"We will look into this further," he said, "Now, you two girls probably want to go home. I'll have Sergeant Montoya call your Dad and will get you to the airport."

"You did fantastic work. Both of you," Said Barbara. She held out her hand to shake Nancy's and George's hands.

Just before Nancy and George got into Sergeant Montoya's squad car, they saw a shadow on the rooftop. They could barely make it against the pitch-black sky, but they both knew who it was.

The Batman.

He was staring straight at them from the shadows. They could swear that they saw the briefest of smiles and a thumbs up.

"This will be a great addition to your growing portfolio," said George with a grin.

Nancy smiled as the car started forward, with Gotham City growing further behind them.

"That it will, George." Said Nancy, closing her eyes and smiling.

The End. 


End file.
